Chapter 100 No Record?

As night fell, the titans usually quieted down, becoming less active than during the day.

However, Captain Erwin still found it difficult to calm his mind.

After this battle, the outer wall investigation plan was essentially impossible to carry out.

The Survey Corps had suffered a casualty rate of nearly 30%, with more than 40 soldiers killed and over 30 wounded. These injured soldiers could no longer continue fighting and had to be cared for by others. Additionally, the casualties were mostly from the peripheral combat sequences, which significantly diminished the combat effectiveness of their team.

But this wasn't what weighed most on Captain Erwin's mind. What truly unsettled him was the intelligence and strategy displayed by the titans during the battle!

They seemed to have suddenly gained a level of awareness and even began employing tactics. It appeared as though they knew the Survey Corps would rest in the forest and had arranged a blockade from four directions to trap them!

Such behavior was unimaginable. The titans had never acted this way before. It was the first time they had shown such strategic thinking!

Moreover, during the battle with Ryo, the two abnormal titans had displayed behaviors that left Erwin deeply uneasy. Abnormal titans were already difficult to deal with, but if they were allowed to think and use their strengths strategically, even the well-trained Survey Corps would likely pay a heavy price against them, as they had seen in the left-wing formation during the day.

Intelligence!

The lack of intelligence about the titans had always been one of humanity's greatest disadvantages. This gap in knowledge made progress difficult and dangerous!

Captain Erwin glanced at the captured titan lying in the distance. Perhaps the safest course of action now was to withdraw the troops, take the captured titan, and let Hanji and her team study it. It could provide invaluable information. After all, the current situation was far from what they had expected.

Erwin closed his notebook, noting the events of the day, and wrote the time along with his signature.

Even as the leader of the Survey Corps, he was not invincible—he had to face the very real threat of the titans. If something happened to him, he hoped that this notebook would provide useful insights to whoever found his body. It might prove essential for humanity's survival.

After the Beast Titan left, no other titans approached that night, and they were relatively safe.

The next morning, the Survey Corps packed up their supplies, abandoned their original plans, and began the return to the city, taking the bodies of the fallen soldiers, the injured, and the captured titan with them.

"Mikasa, is your arm okay?"

Ryo rode closer to the carriage. Mikasa's left arm had been injured, making it difficult for her to ride, so Sister Pei had arranged for her to travel in the carriage.

Ryo and the other members of Levi's team were guarding the carriage, ensuring the safety of the convoy and the supplies, including the captured titan. This titan had significant value.

"It's fine. The wound doesn't hurt anymore, thank you for asking."

Mikasa moved her left arm slightly. As long as she didn't move it too much, the pain was manageable. However, it would likely take some time to fully recover. Thankfully, her right arm was unharmed; otherwise, it would have been a major issue for her daily activities.

"You're welcome. Here, I brought some dried meat from my last hunting trip. I had planned to eat it during this investigation, but things ended so quickly that I didn't get a chance to finish it. Take it to pass the time on the road."

Ryo smiled and handed Mikasa a bag of roasted dried meat.

"No, thank you..."

Mikasa was about to politely refuse, but she noticed that Ryo had already ridden off. She looked down at the dried meat and smiled slightly. It was clear that he hadn't touched it. He had probably said it was leftovers to make it easier for her to accept.

Although she teased him in her mind, she felt a warm sense of gratitude. It was a feeling different from what she had with Eren. She couldn't quite define it, but it made her heart feel lighter.

Ryo rode away from the carriage and towards Sister Pei and the others. Before he got close, he overheard a quarrel between them. Curious, Ryo leaned in to listen.

"Tsk, I don't remember, but it was probably about a dozen," Oluo said, pretending not to care but clearly still interested in the conversation.

"Is that so? In that case, we'll have to count your subjugation as an unknown number. Oluo, you should think about it. If you report those numbers, your subjugation record won't change!" Sister Pei held a small notebook, scribbling something in it.

Oluo, angered, retorted, "No record? How can that be!"

In the past, the record of subjugating 39 titans would have been impressive. But with Ryo now on the team, his record was rapidly rising. Before the battle in the forest even started, Ryo had already killed four titans (actually five, as he had also killed one during training). If Oluo's record remained unchanged, Ryo would soon surpass him, and that was something Oluo couldn't accept.

So, he reluctantly confessed, "Alright, actually it was six!"